How hot is it? Hot enough for ERCOT to ask the state to dial back its power use at temperatures climb back into the triple digits. We’ll have the latest. Also a recent pipe burst in Odessa left the city’s hundred thousand plus residents without water for days. Now comes a warning for lots of small to midsized cities about a ticking time bomb of aging pipes and underground stressors. We’ll hear more. Also a new effort aimed at tracking drug overdoses, most of which go non-reported. And a comeback for the Guadalupe bass. And Texas versus Volkswagen: how the carmakers novel defense could put millions of dollars at stake. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Outage
The Energy Island
It was only when the lights went out in Texas that many of us realized — electrically — we are all alone. Claire McInerny brings us that story. Plus, Jimmy Maas tells us how the electricity market in Texas used to work up until about 20 years ago.
Find a full transcript of this episode here.
Texas Standard: February 18, 2021
What did ERCOT know and when did they know it? As millions of Texans still struggle with power outages pressure builds for clear answers. Members of Congress among others demanding straightforward explanations for the collapse of the power grid and uneven distribution of so-called rolling blackouts that left many in the dark and cold for days. Compounding matters, sources for safe water drying up in several parts of Texas as supplies are shut off to deal with cracked pipes and treatment issues. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 9, 2017
Should women be required to buy separate insurance for abortions? The Texas lawmakers behind the emotional debate explain their positions. Also the ballot measure never said anything about ‘sports.’ That’s the argument attorneys for a historic El Paso neighborhood are making to fight a proposed activity center. And crude exports from the the Permian Basin are injecting new life into the port of Corpus Christi whose economy took a hit during the energy downturn. Also the misuse and addiction of opioids kill as many as one hundred Americans every day. The new task force in San Antonio to combat the crisis. And a team at Texas A&M is working to keep the lights on across the state. A look at the vulnerability of the power grid. That’s all ahead on The Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: January 12, 2016
Texas set to announce a crack down on 21st century slavery. We’ll meet the woman in charge and why she’s doing it. Also the Houston based head of one of the nation’s most notorious biker gangs convinces a judge he’s no flight risk: why federal officials have set their sights on the Bandidos. And what’s killing the lights over and over outside Houston? A Texas teenager named to Forbes 30 under 30 and his invention inspired by the BP oil spill. Plus the white house promises an out of the ordinary state of the union…how far could they go? Those stories and much more today on the Texas standard: